Friedrichshain / East Side Gallery

Hotel Indigo Berlin East Side Gallery

★★★★★

Hotel Indigo Berlin East Side Gallery is the hotel for anyone who wants to wake up next to the most famous surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall. It stands on Muehlenstrasse in Friedrichshain, directly across the road from the East Side Gallery, the long section of Wall painted by artists from around the world in 1990, and its lobby looks straight out at it. Like every Hotel Indigo, it takes its design cues from its neighbourhood: each room has its own piece of Berlin-inspired decoration, and the hotel uses wallpaper made especially for it, with references to the Wall, the river and the street art of the district. Rooms come in standard and premium categories, all with free Wi-Fi, and the upper floors look over the Spree or the city. The Spreewirtschaft restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the highlight is the Gallery Rooftop Bar on the eighth floor, with views over the river; on Friday and Saturday evenings it hosts Sundown Sets with DJs and free entry. There is also a fitness centre, and bicycles are available to hire, which is an ideal way to explore the riverside and the Wall trail. The location is one of the liveliest in Berlin. The Oberbaum Bridge, with its red-brick towers, leads across the Spree to Kreuzberg a few minutes away; Warschauer Strasse station connects you to the S-Bahn and U-Bahn; and the restaurants, bars and clubs of Friedrichshain around Simon-Dach-Strasse and the RAW grounds are within walking distance. The concert arena by the river is also close by.

Who it suits: first-time visitors and history buffs who want the Wall on their doorstep, couples who enjoy a rooftop drink and a lively neighbourhood, and travellers going to concerts or events at the arena nearby. The minimum check-in age is eighteen and the hotel has no specific family facilities, so families may prefer an apartment hotel elsewhere. It is also a good choice for travellers with a dog, as dogs are welcome for a fee.

Living in it: ask for a high room facing the river or the East Side Gallery, then walk the length of the Gallery early in the morning, before the crowds and tour groups arrive. Hire a bike from the hotel to ride along the Spree to the Oberbaum Bridge and into Kreuzberg. Save an evening for the Gallery Rooftop Bar, ideally at a weekend for the Sundown Sets. Warschauer Strasse station is a short walk away, and the S-Bahn takes you to Alexanderplatz and the centre in minutes.

Value: rates are in the middle range for Berlin, generally below the boutique hotels of Mitte, and the location is hard to beat for the east side of the city. Berlin adds a City Tax of 7.5 percent of the net room price, so check whether your rate includes it. For a design-led stay facing the Wall, with a rooftop over the river and Friedrichshain nightlife around the corner, it is one of the most atmospheric mid-range choices in Berlin.